Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will faucet into Papua New Guinea’s ardour for the NRL throughout his go to to PNG to strengthen its relationship with Australia.
Mr Albanese will use his historic speech to PNG’s parliament on Thursday to restate his help for a Pacific Islander group compete within the NRL, saying Australia and PNG have a “shared passion for rugby league”.
“Today I affirm my view that I want to see a PNG-based, Pacific Islander team compete in the National Rugby League competition,” he’s anticipated to say.
“Sport is such a genuine and powerful way of building strong and lasting ties between our peoples, at a code and club and community and family level.
Mr Albanese told reporters in Australia on Wednesday he was “very keen” to see a PNG-based group take part within the NRL, revealing he had raised the proposal with the league’s directors.
He later informed ABC Radio he would talk about the concept together with his PNG counterpart James Marape throughout his go to to the Pacific island nation.
“Of course, those links are so important — that we have those cultural links and our common interests,” Mr Albanese mentioned.
“And one of our common interests is, of course, our passion for rugby league.”
Mr Albanese first threw his help behind the concept of a Pasifika NRL group after assembly together with his PNG counterpart James Marape on the Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji in July final 12 months.
PNG has been represented within the Queensland Rugby League Cup for a few decade and the nation has been pushing to hitch Australia’s nationwide competitors as its 18th group.
It’s understood PNG would possible be part of forces with Tonga, Samoa, the Cook Islands and Fiji to kind a Pasifika group.
There has additionally been an urge for food inside the league for Perth or presumably one other New Zealand-based group to take out the 18th spot within the NRL.
Mr Albanese and Mr Marape met to look at their nations’ groups compete within the Prime Minister’s XIII rugby league clashes at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane final September.
The leaders additionally watched the State of Origin in Fiji final 12 months, which Mr Albanese will reference in his speech to PNG’s parliament on Thursday.
“When Prime Minister Marape and I watched the State of Origin together in Suva last year, he said there are only three days your country stops — Game 1, Game 2 and Game 3,” Mr Albanese will say.
“That’s something I think a lot of Australians can relate to.”
